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As with many of Sega’s arcade titles of the ’80s, Quartet found its way onto the Master System. There were many changes in the transition, and the popular four-player feature of the original was lost. Still, the version that came home was fun enough to spend an afternoon with, especially with a friend.
Taito brought its Darius goodness to both the Genesis and the Master System (outside the U.S.), and the latter turned out to be a very good version. It’s lacking in some areas, but the overall essence of the game still shines through. Fans will want to try and catch this fish and give it a play.
The Master System is not known for a wide selection of RPGs, but some actually get passed over in favor of more recognized titles. Miracle Warriors is such title, having spent decades in the shadows of Phantasy Star and Ys. While it is far from their level of quality, there is actually a decent game under some unforgiving RPG mechanics.
Sega jumped into the martial arts action game with a title that was eerily reminiscent of Irem classics like Vigilante. Short, nice to look at, and simple to play, Kung Fu Kid doesn’t offer much in gameplay, but it somehow manages to be entertaining. If you can get past the feeling of lost potential, there’s a decent little action game here.
The Bitmap Bros. are renowned for their excellent games, titles that are both well-presented and that play great. Speedball on the Genesis is a great example of that, but the Master System port, done by Mirrorsoft/Image Works, doesn’t fare as well. Everything that made the Genesis version so good is missing, so there’s no reason to bother with this version.